i cannot even talk. thank you, thank you very much. hey, i love you guys too, thank you. the campaign team stuck with me at every turn. i want to especially thank my senate staff. [applause] there is nothing -- i will sleep very well tonight -- i will go on a nice run tomorrow morning and you can chase me around if you can keep up with me. [laughter] i will never, ever, ever regret

helping people that could not help themselves. [applause] those people, those people who were hurting through the interference of government regulation and falling through the seams those wonderful stories we heard and the letters we have on our walls of problems we saw of people -- i will never ever forget those opportunities to help those people. i will still keep working for you. don't worry. [applause] most importantly -- i want to thank my wife gail - [applause]

and it just for the record, i am absolutely not going to say anything about my doctors to night. [laughter] -- my daughters to night. gail stood with me in this campaign. she worked as hard as anyone to carry us across the finish line. [applause] her love and support kept me going at times when i thought the odds were insurmountable. gail and i have never ever felt so much pride when we introduced and worked with our daughter is so thank you. [applause] as you know, many of my family and friends are here. i want to thank my mom, judy.

[applause] my sister leann, my sister robyn, and my brother bruce and my extended family. i want to thank them all. one thing that is a little bit different is my dad is not here. he has been in very bad health. he has been struggling and i am not sure what will happen. he is right here with me and i want to say i love him and thank him for his support. [applause] listen -- first of all, i am psyched that you guys hung around. [laughter] [applause]

[go, scott, go] many of you know in your lives, there is a point in your life, when you take on a challenge and you do something that no one ever thought you could achieve and you do the very best you possibly could and you leave everything on the table whether you are in a sporting event, you leave everything on the court, or i football field, whether you are in battle -- let me tell you something, i have left everything in this battle and i just want to thank you for the opportunity and whatever the future holds, i'm fortunate man to be where i have been. i am very fortunate -- [applause]

i am very, very fortunate -- i love you, too, thank you -- you are very boisterous and enthusiastic. i love that. you need to get your eyes checked. listen, [applause] i am very fortunate to have the opportunity and i am very fortunate to return to a place that i love more than anything in the world. thank you for that opportunity. we set out three years ago to accomplish something worthy -- all the more the because it was so hard and we did it together and we got that and you and i or witnesses to the truth and ideals, effort, and strength of what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it.

let me say in closing -- i want to say this in closing -- [applause] i want to say this in closing -- we have a tremendous amount of challenges and i am looking forward to going back to the united states senate as dysfunctional as it is -- [applause] and we are going to try to do the people's business until january and then i will turn over the reins and let somebody else take a stab at that this functionality. we have given three years of independent representation in the senate and that is three years more than some states get. we let because -- we led a cause gave all that we could

give and for me, it was an honor to serve you for a little while. i thank you, the people of massachusetts, for that honor and privilege, thank you. thank you very much. thank you. ♪ ♪ [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] ♪ ♪ ["aint' no stopping us now" playing] [cheers and applause] all right. all right. all right. all right. no, no. thank you. thank you. this -- [cheers and applause] this victory belongs to you. [cheers and applause] you did this. for every family that has been squeezed and hammered, we're going to fight for a level playing field and we are going

to put people back to work. that is what we're going to do. yes. [cheers and applause] to all the small business owners who are tired of a system rigged against them, we are going to hold the big guys accountable. [cheers and applause] yeah. to all the seniors who deserve to retire with the security they earned, we're going to make sure your medicare and social security benefits are protected and that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. that's right. [cheers and applause] and to all the young people who did everything right -- [cheers and applause] who did everything right and are drowning in debt, we are going to invest in you.

[cheers and applause] to all of those service members and your families who have fought so hard for us, we're going to fight for you. that's right. that's right. i love you. [cheers and applause] and all the women across massachusetts -- [cheers and applause]

to all the women across massachusetts who are working your tails off, you had better believe we will fight for equal pay for equal work. [cheers and applause] to all of you, this is your night. this is your victory. yes. this -- [chanting] [warren!] this was a campaign that broke records, raising more money from small donors than any senate campaign in the history of this country. [cheers and applause]

and, knocking on more doors than any senate race in massachusetts. [applause] an amazing campaign. let me be clear. i didn't build that. you built that. [cheers and applause] and you did what everyone thought was impossible. you taught us a scrappy, first- time candidate can get in the ring and win. [applause] you took on the powerful wall street banks and special interests and you let them know you want a senator who will be out there fighting for the middle-class all of the time. [cheers and applause]

and despite the odds, you elected the first woman senator -- [cheers and applause] to the state. thank you. [chanting "warren"] yeah, i love you, too. this't have to tell you was a tough campaign. senator brown and i had our differences, but he and i just spoke and he sent his

congratulations. i hope you'll join me in thanking senator brown for his service to the commonwealth. [applause] we wish scott and gail and their daughters nothing but the best. nothing but the best. [applause] i also want to speak to senator brown's supporters. the message you sent was clear. we need leaders in washington who are willing to break the partisan gridlock and work regardless of party. i know i did not earn your vote, but i promise i will work to earn your support. [cheers and applause]

there are many people to thank tonight. i am going to start with my husband bruce. [applause] i also want to thank my kids, my beautiful grandkids, my brothers, my in-laws, my cousins, my nieces and nephews here in massachusetts and all across the country. senator kerrey, governor patrick, mayor, thank you for your support, for your encouragement, and most of all for your leadership. you were real fighters in my corner and i appreciate that.

[applause] but it's what you do every day for the people of our state that is truly remarkable. thank you all. thank you. [applause] and to our congressional delegation, to all of our mayors and legislators, council members and sheriffs, to the nurses, to the fire fighters, to the teachers, to the carpenters, to laborers, two men and women of the building trades, and to all of our brothers and sisters in the labor movement -- [cheers and applause] i love you, too. to the lgbt community. yes. [cheers and applause]

yes. to the women's groups. [cheers and applause] to the environmental groups. [cheers and applause] to the ministers, i'm so grateful. to the credit unions. yes. to the more than 700 small businesses supporting us, to the student organizers, to the democratic town committees, all of you, all of you, all of you have had my back, and i promise you, i will have your back. i promise.

i want to thank the single best grass-roots army that any state has ever seen. [cheers and applause] for every volunteer who knocked on doors, who stood in the rain and held signs, who talked to their neighbors, and to my incredible staff that worked more hours than i thought was humanly possible -- [cheers and applause] thank you, thank you, thank you, all of you.

[applause] and to everyone who shared your hopes and dreams with me and put your faith in my ability to fight for you, i want you to know this. i will never forget. i will always carry your stories with me in your heart. i won't just be your senator. i will be your champion. [cheers and applause] i promise. i promise. ok. so, tonight is not over because we still have a lot of celebrating to do, yes? [cheers and applause]

but i want to close by noting that it was exactly 50 years ago tonight that senator ted kennedy was first elected to the united states senate. [cheers and applause] we miss his passion, his commitment, his energy, and his fight for working families. that night, 50 years ago, he said that he would dedicate all his strength and will to serve you in the united states senate. for 47 years, he lived up to that promise. tonight, i pledge to do the

same. thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. [cheers and applause] >> more new center is coming into office in january -- -- more new centaurus coming into office in january -- -- more new senators coming into office in january.

from california, howard berman has conceded to the republican. the race was called one of the 10 nastiest house races of the year. the associated press projects voters in colorado and washington state approved ballot measures allowing recreational marijuana use. a similar measure was voted down in oregon. for more election results from around the country, go to c- span.org/campaign 2012. with barack obama recollected as the 44th president of the united states, we want your thoughts on facebook. we will have your reaction to the election in about 40

minutes, "washington journal" take your phone calls and e- mails. mitt romney called president obama to congratulate him on winning a second term. the former massachusetts governor addressed his supporters. >> please welcome governor mitt romney. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you, my friends. thank you so very much. thank you. thank you. thank you. i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. i wish all of them well, but

particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. this is a time of great challenges for america. i pray the president will be successful in guiding our nation. [applause] i want to thank paul ryan for all he has done for our campaign. [applause] and for our country. besides my wife, hit paul is the best choice i have ever made. [applause] and i trust that his intellect and his hard work, and his commitment to principle, will continue to contribute to the good of our nation. i also want to thank ann, a love of my life. -- the love of my life. [applause] she would have been a wonderful

first lady. [applause] she has been that and more to me and to our family, and to the many people she has touched with her compassion and care. theirk my son's for tireless work on the behalf of the campaign, and think their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home. [applause] i want to thank the dedicated campaign team. and matt rhodes. they have made an extraordinary effort, not just for me, but for the country we love. to you tonight, and to the team across the country -- the volunteers, fund-raisers, donors, surrogates. i do not think there is an effort that can compare with

what you have done these past few years. thank you so much. [applause] thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources, and the prayers. you gave the plea from yourselves and performed magnificently. you have been the best we could have imagined. you inspired us. you humbled us. the nation is at a critical point. which cannot risk of partisan posturing. our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work. we citizens have to rise to the occasion. we look to our teachers and professors. we count on you to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. we look to our pastors, priests, rabbis, and counselors of all kinds, he to whom advance the principles of charity, honesty, integrity, and family.

we look to our parents. everything depends on the success of our homes. we looked to job creators of all kinds. we are counting on you to invest, to higher, to step forward. we look to democrats and republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics. i believe in america. i believe in the people of [applause] [applause] [applause] i ran for office because i am concerned about america. this election is over, but our principles in door. endure.

i believe in the principles on which this nation was founded, the only guide to a resurgent economy and a new greatness. like so many of you, paul and i have left everything on the field. we have given our all to this campaign. [applause] i so wish i had been able to fulfill your hopes, to lead the country in a different direction. the nation chose another leader so ann and i join with you to pray for him and this great nation. thank you and god bless america. thank you so much. thank you. thanks, guys. [cheers and applause]

[applause] [mitt, mitt, mitt] [applause] >> good night.

[applause] [applause] >> president obama, elected to a second term, gave his victory speech in chicago. a few more headlines about the election at bloomberg.com. stocks and treasury is rise on the obama victory.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and the first family. \[cheers and applause] \[applause] [signed, sealed, and delivered playing] [applause] [applause]

[applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause]

[cheers and applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you so much. tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. \[applause] it moves forward because of you. it moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and oppression. -- and the depression. the spirit that lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of

hope. the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an american family and we rise or fall together as one nation. [applause] and as one people. [applause] tonight, in this election, you, the american people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. \[applause] i want to thank every american who participated in this election. \[applause]

whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. [applause] by the way, we have to fix that. [laughter] [applause] whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone. [applause] whether you held an obama sign or a romney sign you made your voice heard. and you made a difference. i just spoke with governor romney and i congratulated him and paul ryan on a hard-fought campaign. \[applause]

we may have battled fiercely but it's only because we love this country deeply. and we care so strongly about its future, from george to lenore to their son mitt, the romney family has chosen to give back to america through public service. that's a legacy we honor and applaud tonight. [applause] in the weeks ahead, i look forward to sit do you think with governor romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward. i want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, america's happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, joe biden. \[applause]

and i wouldn't be the man i am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. [applause] let me say this publicly, michelle, i have never loved you more. [applause] i have never been prouder to watch the rest of america fall in love with you too, as our \[applause] sasha and malia, before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. \[applause]

and i'm so proud of you guys. but i will say that for now one dog is probably enough. [laughter] to the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics -- \[cheers and applause] the best. the best ever. some of you were new this time around and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. but all of you are family. no matter what you do or where you go from here. you will carry the memory of the history we made together.

and you'll have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. thank you for believing all the way. through every hill, through every valley. you lifted me up the whole way. and i will always be grateful. and all the incredible work you put in. and for everything you have done. [applause] i know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. and that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos. or the do main of special interests. but if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turn out at rallies and crowded along

the rope line in a high school gym or saw folks working late at a campaign office and -- in some tiny county far away from home, you'll discover something else. you'll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who is working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. [applause] you'll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. [applause] you'll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when

they come home. [applause] that's why we do this. that's what politics can be. that's why elections matter. it's not small. it's big. it's important. democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy an messy and complicated. we have our own opinions. each of us has deeply held beliefs. when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. that won't change after tonight. and it shouldn't.

these arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. we can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter. the chance to cast their ballots like we did today. \[applause] but despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for america's future. we want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers. [applause] a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow. [applause]

we want our children to live in an america that isn't burdened by debt. that isn't weakened by inequality. that isn't threatened by the du destructive power of a warming planet. we want to pass on a country that's safe and respected and admired around the world. a nation that's defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this world has ever known. \[applause] but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. we believe in a generous america. in a compassionate america. in a tolerant america. open to the dreams of an

immigrant's daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag. [applause] to the young boy on the south side of chicago who sees the light beyond the nearest street corner. to the furniture worker's child in north carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist. an engineer or an entrepreneur. a diplomat or even a president. [applause] that's the future we hope for. that's the vision we share. that's where we need to go. forward. [applause] that's where we need to go. now we will disagree. sometimes fiercely. about how to get there. as it has for more than two

century, progress will come in fits and starts. it's not always a straight line. it's not always a smooth path. by itself, the recognition that -- recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end the grid lock or solve all our problems. or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus. and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. but that common bond is where we must begin. our economy is recovering. a decade of war is ending. a long campaign is now over. \[applause] and whether i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you. i have learned from you. and you've made me a better

president. and with your stories and your struggles, i return to the white house more determined and more inspired than ever about the work left to do for the future ahead of us. \[applause] tonight you voted for action. not politics as usual. [applause] you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. and in the coming weeks and months, i am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties. to meet the challenges we can only solve together. reducing our deficit. reforming our tax code. fixing our immigration system. freeing ourselves from foreign oil. we've got more work to do. but that doesn't mean your work

is done. [applause] the role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote. america has never been about what can be done for us. it's about what can be done by us, together. [applause] doing the hard, frustrating, necessary work of self- government. that's the principle we were founded on. [applause] this country has more wealth than any nation. but that's not what makes us rich. we have the most powerful military in history but that's not what makes us strong. our university, our culture, are the envy of the world. thethat's not what keeps

world coming to our shores. what makes america exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. the belief that our destiny is shared that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. it is the freedom which so many americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. that's what makes america great. i am hopeful tonight because i've seen the spirit of work in america. i've seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors.

and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. i've seen it in soldiers who re- enlist after losing a limb. and in those seals who charged up the stairs in the darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. [applause] i see it on the shores of new jersey and new york. where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. [applause] and i saw it just the other day. in ohio. where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything.

had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care -- \[cheers and applause] i had to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father's story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes. because we knew that little girl could be our own. and i know that every american wants her future to be just as bright. that's who we are. that's the country i'm so proud to lead as your president. [applause]

and tonight, despite all the hardship we have been through, despite all the frustrations of washington, i've never been more hopeful about our future. i have never been more hopeful about america. and i ask you to sustain that hope. i'm not talking about blind optimism. the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. i'm not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. i have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary that something better awaits us so long as we have courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.

[applause] america, i believe we can build on the progress we have made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. i believe we can keep the promise of our founders. the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like. or where you -- or who you love. it opportunity matter if your black or white or native american or hispanic or old or young or able, disabled, gay or straight. you can make it here in america if you're willing to work hard. [applause] i believe we can seize this future together. because we are not as divided as our politics suggest.

we're not as cynical as the pundits believe. we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we were made -- we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states, we are and forever will be the united states of america and together, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world why it is we live in the greatest nation on earth. [applause] thank you, america. god bless you. god bless these united states. \[cheers and applause] \[cheers and applause]

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♪ ♪ >> coming up alive at 10:00 a.m. on c-span 2, a look at what to expect from president obama and congress during his second term. congress during his second term. up